While the planning staff failed to mention it during the recent DRC meeting, they are now invoking what they are calling a four-color rule.

Besides avoiding primary or bright accents, the town's guidelines say to "limit the number of color choices" to generally a wall, trim, accent and roof color with muted earth tone tints of reds, browns, tans, grays and green. Dark blue has been accepted as well.

Perkins proposed six colors; the city does not.

"I think five would be fine," Town planner Jaime Groce said. "Blue just pushed it over the top."

After the first story appeared in The Commercial Appeal with the initial approval of the color, Perkins' architect Guy Payne said, "I got a call out of the blue" from Collierville.

Payne had thought he had won the light blue/sky blue earth tone argument with the DRC: "It is an eight-inch band of blue."

He was shocked by the latest turn: "I've been to numerous DRCs all over the country and I've never seen one appeal their own board's decision."

Perkins, which is headquartered in Memphis, has 416 restaurants in 34 states.

The Collierville eatery is the only corporate-owned local restaurant. "I'm not saying that (blue) is what I would have picked," Payne added. "But it is a big thing for them."

In a December letter to town officials, Glynn Kirby with Architectural Coordination Services in Arlington said using earth tones with a "mixture of bright vibrant colors will enhance the dining experience as well as upgrade the (restaurant's) curb appeal."

After hearing Kirby's wording, Payne said, "He should have never used ‘bright' and ‘vibrant' with Collierville officials."

Over the years local suburbs have bickered with businesses over colors, sign sizees, logos and lighting.

Bartlett convinced a clothing store to tone down a bright yellow in its business sign. McDonald's pulled its application in Arlington after a battle over bricks. But Germantown has been the local leader in the subdued look.

In this case, Collierville Alderman Tom Allen, who sits on the DRC, thinks the BMA board will go with light blue: "To me, it is an attractive color. Now, pink would be a different story."

Payne understands towns wanting color control. "They don't want to look like Miami," he said. "But in this case, it's crazy: It's the exact same teal blue that Malco's is using on their frontage."